This week I would like to discuss a very effective method in dealing with chronic Sleep Paralysis. The Sleep Journal. This is a notebook that you keep next to your bed every night. By documenting your sleeping habits and experiences, you can learn a great deal about what patterns and triggers lead you to experiencing Sleep Paralysis more often.

Start off by selecting a notebook that is made just for this purpose. Before you go to bed, write the date and write down details like what time you last had caffeine, what you ate for dinner, how late it was and  what time you went to bed. It might be helpful to include how you are feeling before you go to sleep. Are you feeling anxious or stressed? Did you have a rough day at work? Every time you get Sleep Paralysis, write down the time and a little about what your experience was.

After some time has passed, start to read back on your records. Are you noticing that you are getting Sleep Paralysis more often when you eat certain foods? Are you noticing that your sleep schedule is erratic or irregular? Do you see that you get Sleep Paralysis less often when you eat earlier in the night?

Take your journal with you to your doctor appointments. This can provide them with very useful information to help you. Remember, you have every right to sleep soundly and without anxiety or fear. By paying close attention to your body and your mind, and reflecting on your habits, you can help yourself rest better and feel more at ease at night.

 

Ways to Turn Your Sleep Paralysis Into Something Good (maybe even fun!)

Sleep Paralysis can be scary. There is no denying that fact. But did you know that some people have been able to turn chronic SP into something intriguing and almost enjoyable? It can take a lot of practice – but with some patience and a little insight into what SP really is, you can transform your negative experiences into something else.

Strange, Floaty Sensations

When we dream, our muscles are paralyzed thanks to some of the chemicals within our brains that trigger this paralysis. This is called REM Atonia. Atonia is just a scientific word for loss of tone/movement. REM atonia makes it so that we don’t act out our dreams physically and hurt ourselves during sleep.

When we wake up before those chemicals that trigger atonia can signal our muscles to move again, we experience sleep paralysis. The combination of being awake but also being paralyzed sends our brains into a sort of panic mode. Usually, this prompts us to try our hardest to move. However, many people have learned that if you relax your muscles and resist fighting or tensing up, the result can be some pretty strange floaty sensations. Many people can then prompt themselves to feel as though they are moving around the room or floating above their body. Of course, this isn’t actually happening, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t feel pretty real!

Lucid Dreaming

When someone becomes aware that they are dreaming while they are still in a dream, this is called Lucid Dreaming. While many scientists assert that lucid dreaming isn’t dreaming at all, but more of a partial wakefulness, it can still be an intriguing experience. During lucid dreaming it is possible to control your dream and the environment so that you have control over it and what happens within it. A large amount of people who experience sleep paralysis claim to be able to lucid dream as a result. They claim that the key to lucid dreaming is to relax during sleep paralysis and try to fall back into a dream. Once they accomplish this, they claim that they are able to control their dreams due to their partial wakefulness thanks to the sleep paralysis. They can then do whatever they want such as fly, see loved ones and manipulate objects in the dream.

When Scary Hallucinations Happen – What They Can Tell Us About Ourselves

Frightening hallucinations are common with sleep paralysis. They are reported much more frequently than positive and neutral hallucinations. It’s probably for the same reason we hear more negative reviews about a company than positive ones, or why the news seems to be dominated by negativity. Fear is a strong emotion and if you don’t understand what SP is, it can lead to some scary conclusions. However, it’s important to remind yourself that these hallucinations aren’t real and they can’t hurt you. But why do we get them and what do they tell us about ourselves? Perhaps with some critical thinking, we can learn about our deepest fears through our SP hallucinations and maybe even grow a bit as a result.

Many children who get SP have claimed that they see scary monsters and cartoon-like characters. It’s no surprise that this happens, because these things tend to be most prevalent in children’s shows and scary stories. Demons and evil creatures often plague sufferers of SP regardless of religious affiliation because lets face it – they’re extremely frightening in any context. Our biological fear of the dark and the unknown really manifests within these creatures. Alien abductions and sightings in bedrooms are also a common SP hallucination. Unfortunately, these can feel so real that they create false memories in a person and they become convinced that they have been abducted or have seen aliens at their bedside. This may be a great fear within these people and something that they have been conditioned to dread due to our pop culture.

Perhaps if we take a look at our scary hallucinations, we can learn more about ourselves and take steps to dealing with these fears in the future.

 

 

 

 

Common Experiences of Sleep Paralysis

By far the most common question by those who get Sleep Paralysis seems to be: “Is my Sleep Paralysis experience normal?” It’s not surprising that especially for those who experience SP for the first time, it can be a confusing, frightening experience that often leaves people feeling alone and full of anxiety. To help combat these feelings, here are the most commonly reported experiences of SP.

Inability to Move

It goes without saying that the most prevalent symptom of SP is muscle paralysis. When you first awake or fall into SP (SP can be experienced both upon waking and falling asleep) the first thing people notice is that they can’t move. When we sleep, our bodies go into a temporary paralysis to keep us from acting out our dreams. Once we wake up, our body sends a signal out for our muscles to stop being paralyzed. During SP, this signal is delayed and we are unable to move upon partial waking. This is probably because our brains are still partially asleep during SP – which explains the next occurrence.

Visual and Auditory Hallucinations

During SP, many people see or hear things that aren’t actually there. This is because our brains are still partially asleep. During REM sleep, a high amount of stress hormone is present. REM sleep is the stage of sleep in which SP occurs. This can cause us to wake up agitated or fearful which affect our hallucinations. These hallucinations become projected onto our actual surroundings. Common visual hallucinations are: Aliens, lights, shadowy figures, monsters, dark clouds or shapes and normal everyday people. Some people hallucinate a sexual attack or somebody choking them. Others feel as though someone is watching them from their door or their bed. However, not all hallucinations are scary. Many people see family members or deceased loved ones. Some audio hallucinations include high pitched ringing or buzzing, growling, television or radio sounds or conversations in another room.

Feeling Unable to Breathe/Feeling as Though You are Being Choked

Another very common experience is the feeling of being choked or that your lungs are also paralyzed. During SP, your lungs are still functioning. However, because you can’t move, you may feel as though you can’t breathe. However, this isn’t the case at all. You are still able to breathe normally. Many people also feel as though they are being held down, pressed on tightly or strangled. Again, these are all due to the muscle paralysis which makes you feel heavy or oppressed. Taking long, deep breaths can help alleviate this feeling.

Floating Sensations s & Out of Body Type Experiences

Because our brain is trying desperately to “ground” itself during the sudden, brief paralysis, it’s common to feel as though you “float” out of your body of as though you aren’t connected with it. This is an extremely common experience and is actually completely natural. Many people have actually embraced this feeling as a way to feel apart from their physical form. However, this is a natural experience and is not related to any type of paranormal influence. It is, however, quite interesting to experience.

 

Please feel free to share your SP experiences with us in the comments, or visit our community on Facebook!

Image credit: Vishalandra Dakur Artwork – http://www.fine-art.com/vishalandradakur

5 Triggers for Experiencing Sleep Paralysis

Thanks to professionals and students in the field of sleep and neurology, we now know that there are definite triggers that make us more likely to experience Sleep Paralysis. Here are a few things to avoid in order to lessen your chances.

 

Sleeping on your back (also called the supine position)

Research shows that there is a definite correlation between sleeping on your back and experiencing SP. Those who sleep on their backs are more likely than those who do not to experience Sleep Paralysis. Although the definite cause is still unknown, there is a clear relationship between the two.

Changing your sleep schedule/routine

Sudden or drastic changes to your sleep schedule can be a trigger for Sleep Paralysis. Those who work nights and who nap often during the day tend to have a greater chance of experiencing Sleep Paralysis. Many new parents who suddenly find themselves up all night with a new baby find that they get Sleep Paralysis during naps and what little sleep they can get at night. Those who start a new job in the evenings or very early mornings are also at risk. Those who find themselves in this situation should try and establish as normal of a sleep routine as possible.

Taking certain medications that effect your sleep cycles

Certain medications may contribute to Sleep Paralysis. It’s very important to ask your doctor about the possibility of your medication affecting your sleep cycle if you suspect this is the case. At night, we go through cycles of sleep – REM and NREM sleep. REM sleep issues may be linked to Sleep Paralysis. Sometimes stopping or changing medication can help prevent Sleep Paralysis. There are also certain medications such as SSRI’s or antidepressants that can actually stop or greatly reduce Sleep Paralysis experiences. All of these things should be discussed throughly with your doctor. It’s important to never change or stop a medication without your doctor’s advice.

Sleep Disorders such as Insomnia and Sleep Apnea

Certain sleep disorders can make you more vulnerable to Sleep Paralysis. This is most likely because they can cause a lack of sleep or reduced sleep quality. If you suspect that you may have a sleep disorder, please consult with your doctor. Some red flags include the inability to fall or stay asleep, poor sleep quality and feeling very tired during the day. Which leads us to our next trigger:

Going to bed exhausted or overly tired

Lack of sleep and exhaustion have shown to be possible triggers of Sleep Paralysis. Those who go to bed extremely tired may find themselves more likely than those who do not to experience SP. By practicing healthy sleep habits both in the evening and during the day, you can decrease your chances of experiencing SP. You should also always try and limit a lot of brain stimulation before bedtime. Give yourself at least 30 minutes of quiet time before bed and avoid screens and intense conversation so that you can ease into sleep.

3 Reasons to Not Be Afraid of Sleep Paralysis

We’re always hearing about why we should be afraid of experiencing Sleep Paralysis. The inability to move, the hallucinations and the myths that scare us into believing something bad or evil might be happening to us. Even despite knowing all of the scientific information proving otherwise, it’s still hard for anyone to not be even a little afraid. However, here are a few facts to help combat some of that fear.

Sleep Paralysis is an extremely common occurrence.

SP affects nearly everyone at least once in their lives. Many times, someone will wake up unable to move and see or hear something scary and just assume it was a nightmare. However, almost every single person you know has probably experienced SP once or twice. Our bodies are amazing machines, but they aren’t perfect. Once in a while the chemical that paralyzes our muscles during sleep to keep us from physically acting out our dreams fails to “disconnect” before we wake up, therefore causing us to have a brief paralysis. Because we are still partially asleep, we may also see or hear things. Since we all have the same brain chemistry, it’s only rational that we all have very similar “slip ups” from time to time.

Hallucinations may be similar from person to person, but they have changed throughout history. 

Common hallucinations experienced by sufferers of Sleep Paralysis today  include dark shadows, religious figures and aliens. These are also the most current, relevant cultural fears experienced by modern society. However, did you know that the common hallucinations recorded throughout history by people who experienced Sleep Paralysis have changed depending on what the current cultural fear was at the time? For example, Fritz Schwimbeck, 1915, depicted a Succubus-like vision during Sleep Paralysis. In 1894, Eugène Thivier created “Le Cauchemar” to represent a gargoyle like demon pressing down on a person’s body.

Sleep Paralysis can be extremely treatable for those who suffer from it chronically.

Simple lifestyle changes have proven to be extremely beneficial in treating chronic SP. By taking simple steps to avoid bad sleeping habits, you can greatly decrease your chances of getting regular SP. Those who suffer from insomnia and other sleep-related disorders are much more likely to get chronic Sleep Paralysis. By working with a doctor to control these issues, improvement in SP is very likely.